(Telboriel and JD, thanks for the review.)
Part 17, Reality
--Lantash--
Narim and I wake up to the sound of quiet arguing on the other side of the room. Narim rolls over to see the argument is between Samantha and Pete. He quietly looks to where we last saw Jacob and Selmak.
Jacob is in control, and watching the argument. I can almost hear the argument he must he having with Selmak. By his eyes, I know he wants to intervene, but Selmak wouldn't want that.
So far Selmak is winning.
Narim lays still, quietly observing. A few minutes later Selmak loses as Jacob heads over there. I have a feeling Samantha isn't going to want him there.
Yep, by her reaction, she doesn't want her father there.
I really wish I could hear them. Even Narim is wishing this.
Jacob is arguing with Pete. Now Selmak is in control, and unfortunately I can't hear her either. Selmak first talks to Pete, and then Samantha. Jacob takes control again, and talks to both of them. He says something to Pete before leaving. He doesn't return all the way back here though, but stands himself halfway.
Samantha and Pete are talking now. He seems more upset than she does. She tries to give him a small object, but he is refusing. She finally places it in his hands, and says something.
I don't know what this small object is, it looks like a ring, but he certainly doesn't want it. She walks away, and he drops it. Samantha passes her father, and is heading in this direction.
Narim closes his eyes.
She walks passed us.
Narim keeps his eyes closed for several minutes before opening again. Then we wonder where everyone is. He finds Pete sitting in the corner he slept in. Jacob is laying down in the middle of the room, though I doubt he has fallen asleep. Samantha must still be behind us.
He sits up, and looks behind to confirm this.
Her eyes find us quickly. "Hello Narim. Sorry, to wake you."
"It's not a problem. If you hadn't, it seems I would have missed something important."
"How much did you hear?"
"No words."
She nods.
It seems their relationship might be over, Narim thinks.
Good.
Lantash, he thinks a bit sternly. He moves closer to Samantha. "If this is a bad time, I understand, but there is something Lantash and I want to discuss before we go to earth."
You are going to discuss that now?
Why not? he asks.
"Yes?" she says.
"Well, right now, we don't have a place to go. There is the Tok'ra, yes, but right now Lantash doesn't want to return to them. We need time to rest, and deal with all we've been through. The Tok'ra aren't exactly very understanding of that."
I noticed he left out that at the moment I am a bit pissed at the Tok'ra.
"Where did you want to stay?"
"Well, for now...earth."
Samantha smiles lightly. "I'm sure you can stay on earth for the time being."
"Thank you."
We returned to our blanket, and soon fell asleep.
--
The next day, I wake up before Narim. Jacob is already at helm. Samantha is standing near him, while Pete is near, but also keeping his distance.
"We near the planet?" I ask. I approach the three of them.
"Landing," Jacob answers.
Narim, wake up.
What?
We are landing.
Already?
It would be best if you were in control when we go to earth.
"Sam, I haven't been able to contact the Tok'ra yet, so the SGC has no idea you are returning. As far as I know, they still think you are on earth, but I wouldn't trust your iris code. I'll use the Tok'ra's code, but I won't be coming with you. I need to return to the Tok'ra soon as tell them about the poison."
I give Narim control now that he's more awake, and we feel the ship land.
Jacob takes lead as we leave, and heads to the Chaapa'ai.
"Given the relation with the Tok'ra, and more importantly, the Goa'uld's ability to gain certain information, we will probably be greeted with several guns pointed at us," Samantha says.
"Wouldn't be the first time I was on that end of several weapons on earth," Narim remarks.
Jacob starts dialing, and the sound causes Pete to jump at first. His eyes grew wide, and I think he actually jumped back a foot when the Chaapa'ai "swooshed," as Elliot had called it.
"It's an easy process," Narim says to him as Samantha says good-bye to her dad. "You just step through. You might want to exhale before you do, as afterwards the first thing you want to do is inhale."
Pete looks both relieved and annoyed to be hearing this from us.
Samantha walks away from her dad, and goes to Pete. "Ready?"
As Samantha and Pete walk up the steps, I hear Jacob. "Lantash."
Narim turns back to him, and gives me control.
Jacob looks at me in the eyes. "Selmak and I are sorry." His eyes flash to indicate Selmak's control. "We don't expect forgiveness, but we wanted you to know."
I really have no idea how to respond to that. I just nod, and say, "Thank you." I catch up with Samantha and Pete as I give Narim control.
Narim pauses slightly when given control, and then continues up. Pete pauses briefly at the Chaapa'ai, then nods to himself. Together, all of us step through.
The first thing I notice was that Samantha wasn't kidding about the guns. We are surrounded by several men and women already in position and pointing the weapons at us. A chill flows as I remember the guns pointed at me from the last time I was in here.
The second thing I notice is the area on the floor where Martouf died. Narim is staring at it, not fully realizing why he is staring at it.
"Stand down!" calls a masculine voice which irritates me for some reason.
Narim realizes why he was staring at the floor, and looks away. I feel cold. Martouf died there, and people probably step on it all day, every day, not even knowing.
Jack O'Neill comes in, and he starts talking to Samantha.
Narim is staring at that spot again. I almost died there with him. Narim averts his eyes again, and looks to Samantha. "Samantha, could we possibly go into another room?" His eyes turn towards the spot again. "This room is...unpleasant."
"Yes, sir, we should go into another room. I'll explain later."
He looks confused, but complies with the wishes. As we start down, Pete is heading to the spot.
Noooo!
Samantha guides him away.
Martouf. I retreat further back.
My head clears a few seconds later, and I realize it's because we left the room. Where are we headed?
To the infirmary.
That would make sense.
When we arrive, I see Daniel Jackson and Teal'c talking there. They turn around at the sound of our approach, and Daniel looks surprised.
"Sam?" Daniel says.
Teal'c looks from Samantha to us, and aims his staff weapon at us.
What did we do?! Narim asks.
He probably senses me.
Daniel looks from us to the staff weapon, and I can't honestly tell which surprises him more, Narim, or Teal'c pointing a weapon at Narim.
"Teal'c," Samantha says quickly. "Narim is Tok'ra now."
Teal'c look to her, back to us, and then lowers his weapon. "Is it good to have you back," he says to her, though still watching us.
"Tok'ra? That explains the iris code," Jack says from behind us. "So you have a snake in your head now."
I forgot how much his voice irritates me.
Narim turns towards him. "Yes, and one you owe debt to."
"Do I?" He sounds skeptical.
Daniel and Teal'c both move around so Narim is now facing all three of them.
Narim nods. "Yes." I quietly remind him that nodding usually indicates a switch.
Oops. Well, then...he gives me control.
"Who is this Tok'ra?" Teal'c asks, who seems unsure if we switched or now.
Oh, I was waiting for them to ask. I flash my eyes to let them know without a doubt that I am in control. "I am Lantash."
The surprise the three of them had to seeing Samantha or Narim doesn't begin to compare to the surprise to hearing my name. I don't think I've ever seen Teal'c look surprised before.
Flashed your eyes to let them know who was in control? Narim thinks. I thought it was for dramatic effect.
It was not for dramatic effect.
He responds by laughing. He doesn't believe me, and now there is laughing in my head.
"Lantash?" Jack is the first to speak. "Your..." He looks to Samantha.
"It's Lantash," Samantha confirms.
"I would like to speak with General Hammond," I say.
"Uh, Lantash," Samantha says, "he was promoted."
"Then who is in charge?"
"That would be me," Jack says.
Him? They promoted him?!
Let me in charge, Narim says quickly, knowing that me talking to Jack might get us kicked off earth. I grant his request, and he looks to Jack. "We request permission to stay on earth for the time being."
I see my new host has mastered Martouf's "I'm annoyed but refuse to look it" smile.
Before I was blended I didn't find him quite so annoying, he assures, and blames me for the new found perspective.
I think he just didn't pay enough attention before he was blended.
--
It's at seventeen hundred hours on what humans call a Wednesday when reality hits. Narim is sitting on the bed of his new quarters with his back against the wall. Jack has granted us the request to stay. I think out of guilt of assuming we were dead. One minute everything was fine, and the next minute Narim and I realize that we have actually escaped. Suddenly everything becomes real.
It seems silly that it took so long to realize, but here it is, in our new room, our new life. Narim trembles, and hot tears start pouring down his cheeks. There is nothing I can say to help.
I'm here on earth. No home to go to. My family and friends are gone.
You might have not been the only Tollan to survive.
Do you really think I'm not?!
Someone knocks on the door, and I inwardly wince. This is not a good time.
"Who is it?" Narim asks in a shaky voice.
"Sam."
Narim stares at the floor for a second, both wanting her there and for her to go away. He gives me control, and orders I make his tears disappear.
"Come in," I say, trying to do as Narim asked.
She enters, and closes the door. "You switch cont-you're upset."
Obviously I failed Narim's request.
She blinks. "I should go. I don't want to disturb-"
"Please stay," I ask, and then give Narim control back. "Samantha," he finishes.
He sits down on the bed. "I was just in thought."
Samantha sits next to us. "Any thoughts you want to share?"
He holds back his tears. "My people are gone. All the people I knew, people I worked with, my friends, family, they're...gone. Everyday I wondered what their fate had been. Did they die right away? Were they taken as hosts? How many had been captured like me?" He looks to Samantha, and tears start to fall. "I was captured with eight other Tollan. They learned of my actions. Every-every day they hated me more. I watched them taken away for torture, and sometimes they didn't come back. Soon I was the last Tollan, and I realized I might not just be the last Tollan in that prison. I might be the last Tollan...ever, and it's my fault. I don't deserve to be the one who lived."
Samantha gently puts an arm around his waist. He leans to accept to the comfort, and allows himself to fully cry again. "They hated me, and they had every right to hate me. Why did I live? Why wasn't I ever taken?" His body shakes in anger and sadness. "I often regretted my actions, and now I come here and see what my people will never have again. I never gave them a chance. They never-" He shakes his head slightly, and becomes quiet.
Time seems lost as he cried. I don't know if ten minutes or ten hours had passed before he gained control. I know it felt like a huge pressure had been taken off his entire body. A weight neither of us realized he had.
He looks to Samantha, and takes her hands with his. "Can I see the surface? Not now, but someday....Can I see the world I saved when I set mine against a losing war?"
Samantha looks rather speechless, but manages to nod.
"Thank you. We both thank you."
She nods again, though she has no idea the full extent of his gratitude, of our gratitude.
We sit there for a while, and Narim and I take comfort in her just being there. Sadly though, she is eventually called away.
To be continued...